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It took me a second to connect the dots before I barked out a laugh. “I was warned she might do this.”
“Bring you tape?” He handed it to me and then nuzzled Luna’s head against his neck. “Good girl, Luna. Thanks for the gift.”
“I told her to scootch, and she must have thought I asked for Scotch. It’s the reason she flunked out of service dog school. She has…selective hearing.”
Jesse laughed when Luna grabbed the tape with a soft mouth and lobbed it at me. “You’re gonna have to be careful what you say around her.”
I picked up the tape and slipped it into my back pocket. “I’m just glad she went for tape instead of hitting up my bar. I’ve got a six-hundred-dollar bottle of Johnny Walker in there.”
“Really?” Jesse’s eyes went big as he took a sip of the coffee. “Mmm, this is good.”
“Glad you like it.” I wanted to hang out and chat with him, but I also wanted to give him space. He’d been through a lot with a violent and aggressive man. I didn’t want him to think I was overbearing or hovering when I was just trying to take care of him. “I should leave you to eat your lunch in peace. If you need anything, I’ll just be out here in the family room.”
“Oh, okay.” He bit the inside of his lip like he had something else to say but then looked down at the dog. “Is it okay if Luna stays?”
“Of course.” I patted his foot through the comforter then realized it might still be hurting. “Oh, shit. Sorry. Did that hurt?”
He smiled up at me but his mouth went lax when our gazes locked. “Not at all.”
I didn’t know what to say, afraid that whatever came out of my mouth would be completely inappropriate. So I just walked right out of the room.
We had plenty of time to get to know each other better. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet, and I’d already killed a man for him. Slowing things down seemed like the right move.
10
JESSE
Over the next few days, the pain in my body got worse. Breathing hurt, and every time I lifted my arm, I had to hold in a cry. But the surprising part was the way that Harris doted on me, appearing at my side with water or painkillers or a snack at every turn.
I’d never felt so…cared for. My mom wasn’t meant to be a mom, and the men that were shuffled in and out of our lives were not good men.
I think that’s probably why I’d always gravitated toward assholes. The kind of guys who treated me like shit and made me believe I was lucky to have them. But Harris wasn’t like that. Not at all. He didn’t seem burdened or annoyed by the fact that I needed so much help to do everything.
In fact, it seemed like he enjoyed it. Thrived on it.
When Harris finally went back to work a few days later, he checked on me throughout the day and still managed to take care of me. Not just by making sure I took my meds and stretched my legs on a regular basis, but the man was obsessed with food. He brought breakfast to me before he left in the mornings, came back with lunch at exactly twelve-fifteen in the afternoon, and then he brought dinner home from local restaurants every night.
I’d never been one to eat three full meals every day, so it was a little much at first, but I quickly got used to the attention and was even putting on a few pounds, something I hadn’t done since high school.
After about a week, I was able to move around better. I left the bedroom and started watching TV in the family room so I could hang out with Harris. He was surprised at first but welcomed me to join him on the couch beside Luna.
As soon as I sat down, she stood up, made a few circles on the cushion between us, and then plopped down against my side.
“Oof.” I flinched at the weight of her landing on me but appreciated her attention. “Has she gained weight?”
“Probably.” Harris reached around and placed his hand under her flank to shift her weight. “Back off him, girl. You’re too heavy.”
“She’s fine.” I placed my hand on his, and he went stock still, his gaze locking with mine as all the air in the room seemed to evaporate around us.
Neither of us moved for several long moments while the heat of his rough skin penetrated my fingers, warming me up. He’d touched me a hundred times, but this time felt different. Like it was more than just a clinical examination or a friend helping change the bandages of someone else.
The heat in his eyes was unmistakable.
And the tenting in my sweats was too. Before I embarrassed myself any further, I removed my hand and shook off the intensity of the touch. He was just being his usual kind self, and I was taking advantage of that.
If I wanted to stay with him, and I really did, I needed to control myself. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” He continued to look right at me before clearing his throat. “Anyway, I was just gonna start a movie. You want me to make some popcorn?”
